Needle for looped products



June 15, 1965 G. WILFERT NEEDLE FOR LOOPED PRODUCTS Filed Dec. 14, 1961 IN V EN TOR.

Gmcs WILFERT a @we, flew/7e] United States Patent C) Filed Dec. 14, 1%1, Ser. No. 159,323 1 Ciairn. (Cl. 223-104) This invention relates to improvements in a needle, that is, a needle as used in the making of looped products, such as hooked rugs.

The goods produced through the use of the needle as herein disclosed, such as rugs, are known as hooked rugs. The hooked rug ar-t consists in pushing a needle, through which extends yarn, through a piece of fabric and withdrawing the needle from the fabric without, however, withdrawing the yarn, wherefore the yarn projects from one side of the fabric as a loop.

In the past the spacing of the loops has been left entirely to the discretion, skill and desires of the user wherefore the loops were not always equally spaced from one another. Also, in the past the length of the loop was not always accurately measured, even though, again, the said length of the loop was at the discretion of the user.

Through the needle disclosed in the present application, spacing of loops fro-m one another and the length of the loop is substantially automatically and accurately maintained.

The principal object, therefore, of the present invention is the provision of a needle for use in producing hooked pieces, that is, hooked rugs, that, substantially, automatically spaces the loops from one another in producing the looped piece or hooked rug.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a needle for use in producing hooked pieces which substantially automatically measures each loop and insures that all loops are of the same length, that is, projects the same distance from the surface of the fabric on which they are being formed.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a needle for producing hooked pieces or rugs in which the spacing of the loops is substantially uniform and the length of the loops are substantially identical.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and it is to be understood that any modifications may be made in the exact structural details there shown and described, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a needle embodying the improvements of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the needle of FIG. 1 as seen from line 22 on said FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view through a plane laterally of FIG. 2 as seen from line 33 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View through the needle as seen from line 4-4 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a blank from which the needle, per se, is formed and with said needle illustrated in phantom lines superimposed on the blank.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the needle of the present invention in an initial position of operation.

PEG. 7 is a schematic view similar to FIG. 6 but show-. ing the needle in an advanced position of use.

Throughout the several views of the drawings similar reference characters are employed to denote the same or similar parts.

The art of making hooked rugs by hand, in most instances, a hobby, is well known and is accomplished by the utilization of a hollow tubelike needle through which yarn extends to be pushed through fabric forming a backing and one side of which fabric the yarn is disposed by the needle and in the form of a loop. Considerable experience and patience is required to effect a uniform spacing and length of the loops with respect to the fa ric. As will presently be made clear the spacing and length of the needle per se indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral it} and generally in the form of a tube.

' The needle tube It may conveniently be formed from a blank or strip of relatively thin metal indicated by the reference numeral id, in FIG. 5. As seen in said FIG. 5, the metal strip .11 is relatively long by comparison to its width and which width includes a wider portion 12 and a narrower portion 13. The blank or strip 11 between the portions 12 and 13 has later-ally extending shoulders M with each shoulder, slightly, inwardly thereof being contiguous with a slit 15. The outer or free end of the strip narrower portion 13 is formed. to a point 16 by having the sides or forward corners thereof re moved and rounded as at 17. The said point 16 and rounded corners 1'7 subsequently provide the needle point per se.

inwardly of the point 16 the blank or strip is provided with an aperture 18 and inwardly of which aperture 18 the said blank or strip portion 13 is raised as at 13?, actually, as will later appear, depressed into the needle, to provide a yarn guide as is the usual custom.

After the blank or strip 11 has been cut as above described it is formed into a hollow tube portion 2%), that is the wider portion 12 of the strip has its lateral edges 21 and 22 brought into substantial face contact, as illustrated at 23 in phantom lines in FIG. 5 and full lines in the other views of the drawings. The narrower portion 13 of the blank or strip 11 is likewise folded into a hollow tube portion 24 by bringing its lateral'edges 25 and 26 into, substantial, face contact as illustrated at 27 in phantom lines in FIG. 5 and in solid lines in the other views of the drawings. Obviouslythe tube portion 24 is of a smaller diameter than the tube portion 20 so that the opening through the fabric, backing material, is held to a size just suiiicient to permit the yarn to pass therethrough while the yarn has considerable freedom in the said larger tube portion 20, all as is well known and will presently be made clear. The larger and smaller tube portions 2d and 2d are permanently joined to one another by the material of the blank 11 between the slits i5.

The needle, per se, tube has mounted thereon intermediate its ends a handle or manipulating member comprising a body portion 28, preferably made of material relatively soft and pleasing to the touch such as wood, plastic or the like. The said handle or manipulating body portion 28 is preferably formed as illustrated in the drawings which may be roughly defined as hourglass shaped. The said body portion 23 has in contact with its outer end a washer 29 and has in contact with its inner or lower end a collar 39.

The needle, per se, tube lit and handle or manipulating parts 28, 29 and 30 are so formed that the said handle and manipulating parts have a press fit on the needle per se, tube and are thereby retained in operative relation to one another; obviously any other means or method may be employed for securing the parts in operative positions. The position of the said handle or manipulating member is preferably from the shoulder 14, that is, inner end of tube larger portion toward the upper or outer end of the said tube larger portion.

The handle or manipulating member collar and body portion 28 are provided laterally of the needle tube, respectively, with an aperture 31 and a socket 32 into which is pressed one end of a pin 33. The other or free end of the pin 33 is reduced to provide a point 34. The point 34 is provided on the pin by removing the material therefrom only on one side thereof upwardly from its free end. By this construction the pin presents a surface 41 that is parallel with the adjacent needle surface with a space 42 between said parts The pin point 34 is therefore laterally spaced from the needle point 16. It should be noted that the pin 33 has its point 34 projecting ahead of the collar 30 a distance somewhat less than that of the needle point 16.

After the needle, per se, tube 19 has been formed from the blank or strip 11 the outer end of its larger portion 20 is outwardly flared as at 35 to provide a substantially rounded entrant throat to the interior of the needle tube to avoid damage to the yarn as the same is fed into the needle tube.

Mounted on the pin 33 is a sleevelike collar 36 which may be adjusted toward and from the pin point 34 and locked or secured in adjusted positions by the lock screw 37. The sleevelike collar 36, as will presently become obvious, acts as a gauging means to determine the length of loop projecting from the fabric.

After the needle parts have been assembled as above described, yarn, indicated in FIGS. 7 and 8 by the reference numeral 38 is fed through the needle, per se, tube 10 and the end of the yarn pulled through needle aperture or eye 18 to lie along the outer surface of the said needle tube 10 and in the groove 39, see FIG. 4, formed in the needle by the raised, in reality, depressed portion 19, which acts as a guide for the yarn.

A piece of fabric, diagrammatically illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 and indicated by the reference numeral 40, is then relatively tautly mounted in a hoop or the like as is well known.

The fabric or backing material 46 is generally of relatively heavy quality and relatively coarsely woven, although generally of relatively tough threads, so that the openings between the warp and woof threads of the fabric are readily discernable. The fabric or backing material is generally provided on one side thereof, with a pattern or picture which is to be followed in projecting the loops from the other side of the fabric.

The needle of the present invention having been threaded is now pushed into and through the fabric 40, frequently a desirable opening between the warp and woof threads of the fabric, with the said needle being grasped by its handle or manipulating member and held, substantially, in the position illustrated in FIG. 6 and started through the fabric. Substantially immediately thereafter the needle is raised to be substantially normal to the said fabric or backing 40, as illustrated in FIG. 7,

and the needle, particularly the reduced tube portion 27 thereof pushed through the fabric or backing until the collar 36 contacts the said fabric or backing. This op eration pushes the yarn 33, outwardly projecting through the needle eye 18, downwardly of, through and beyond the said fabric or backing 40.

Shortly after the needle has penetrated the fabric or backing 4-0 the point 34 of the pin 33 likewise penetrates the fabric or backing, whereupon the needle is raised to its upright position as in FIG. 7 and the needle reduced tube portion 24 and the pin 33 are then simultaneously pushed through the fabric or backing until the lower face of the collar 36 engages the said fabric or backing. This raising of the needle to the upright position causes the fabric or backing material in the space 42 to be slightly raised or arched for a purpose to be made clear.

As soon as the collar 36 is engaged with the fabric or backing 40 the needle is vertically withdrawn from the said fabric or backing. This withdrawal of the needle is continued to a position that its point 16 just clears the said fabric or backing. This withdrawal of the needle, does not pull the yarn with it because the said arching, in effect tensioning of the fabric or backing in the space 42 between the needle and flat surface 41 of the pin, causes friction on the yarn by the said fabric or backing material, the yarn projected by the needle, therefore, remains below the fabric or backing and at the same time the withdrawal of the needle pulls through the needle the yarn to form the other side of the loop.

As the needle is being withdrawn from the fabric or backing the pin 33 is likewise being withdrawn and leaves an aperture readily visible and discernable and which is a pilot hole for the next loop. As soon as the needle has been fully withdrawn from the fabric it is then inserted in the said aperture or pilot hole left by the pin 33 and the needle operation repeated. The pilot hole or aperture left by the pin 33 materially reduces the effort of the user in pushing the needle through the fabric or backing in forming the loop. As above, the downward movement of the needle draws yarn therethrough to form one side of the loop and the withdrawal of the needle draws yarn therethrough to form the other side of the loop.

Since the collar or sleeve 36 is fixedly adjustable on the pin 33 the length of the loop relative to the fabric or backing is likewise adjustable and all loops will be held to the same previously determined length.

From the foregoing, it will now be apparent that there has been provided a needle for making hooked pieces and in which the loops are spaced from one another a uniform distance as determined and established by the lateral spacing of the needle point 16 and pin point 34. It will further be noted that the gauge sleeve or collar 36 insures each loop of the same length since each insertion of the needle through the fabric or backing is to a point as determined by the said collar or sleeve 36 on the pin 33.

What is claimed is:

In a needle of the class described for forming loops of yarn on one side of fabric, the combination of a tube constituting the needle per se through which yarn is adapted to be fed, said tube having an eye and a point at one end adapted for insertion into and through the fabric being worked upon, an operative handle having an upper and a lower end on the needle tube with said needle tube having the eye and point projecting ahead of the lower end of the handle for a distance greater than that required to form a loop, a pin having a body portion, an inner end and an outer end with its inner end secured to and its body portion projecting from said lower end of the handle laterally of and parallel with the needle projecting portion and said pin having its outer end pointed and adapted to project into and through the fabric so that the pin provides a pilot hole for the next insertion of the needle, a collar on said pin adjustable toward and from its outer pointed end adapted to 5 8 engage the fabric and limit the amount of projection of 1,881,247 10/32 Sperling 112-80 the projecting needle portion beyond the fabric to estab- 2,097,380 10/37 Morgan 112-80 lish and control the length of the loop on said one side 2,319,442 5/43 Carlson 223-102 of the fabric, and means carried by said collar for secur- 2,610,598 9/52 Midas 112-80 ing same to the pin in adjusted positions. 5 FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited by the Examiner 568,159 12/23 France.

435,984 10/ 35 Great Britain. UNITED STATES PATENTS 639,845 7/50 Great Britain. 32 532 33 501mm 10 774,915 5/57 Great Britain. 93sj3s4 10/09 Ja KI iL QIIIIII 112:s0 X JORDAN FRANKLIN, Prillary Examine"- 983,763 2/11 Potter et al 112-80 X THOMAS J. HICKEY, DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY,

1,724,463 8/29 Duner 112-80 Examiners. 

